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  1. 1 Meter or well house
  2. 2 House and crawlspace
  3. 3 Water heater AI picture
  4. 4 Septic tank lids
  5. 5 Drainfield and yard

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The septic tank and its lids

Thurston County requires regular inspections of every septic system, and the county keeps the record drawing that shows where your tank sits. Find the lids, keep them fastened, and leave opening them to a county-certified professional: never open a lid alone or leave one open.

Green plastic septic riser with lid standing in a freshly dug hole beside a lawn
Green plastic septic riser with lid standing in a freshly dug hole beside a lawnLook for: a green riser like this one; once the hole is filled it sits flush with the lawn, usually a few steps from the house along the sewer pipe's path.

The county sets how often a system is inspected: every three years for a tank with a gravity drainfield, every year for other types, as the inspection page explains with the county's 2026 fees. The record drawing shows where the tank is, the lids page covers finding and securing them, and the selling page walks through the county's Time of Transfer report.

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Back toward the street: stop 3Water heater AI pictureOn toward the back fence: stop 5Drainfield and yard